2003 Dec 07

New Store:
Please send us an e-mail at info@wigjig.com if you have any problems with our "New Store". If you use IE 4.x, Netscape 4.7 or Earthlink's Opera web browser software you should plan on using our "Old Store" as these web browsers are not compatible with our new store. Please call us at 800-579-WIRE or send us an e-mail with your telephone number and we will be happy to call you to take your order.

We update the items we have "On Sale" with every newsletter. A small sample of the products we currently have for sale at a discount are shown below. Please click on any of the text below the pictures to view our entire list of sale items. Quantities are limited for these items so please shop early. This sale will be effective from December 7th through December 19th, 2003.

FREE JEWELRY MAKING DESIGN:

With every newsletter we provide a free design fromWigJig University to spur the creative juices. This newsletter's free design is the modified design for the Four Leaf Clover wire component to be used in bracelets and earrings as shown at right. This component can be made on the WigJig Delphi, Olympus, or Olympus-Lite. You can view instructions for how to make this bracelet and earring set here.

Past Jewelry Making Techniques:

We maintain a techniques web page that provides links to the discussion of techniques in our prior newsletters. You can visit this web page here. Follow the links on that page to the discussion of the technique in that newsletter. You will need to scroll down to view the techniques section.

Jewelry Making Tip of the week:

Working with 1/2 hard or hard wire. We always recommend using inexpensive practice wire to make wire components at least three times before graduating to your good wire. We also recommend using 1/2 hard gold-filled or sterling silver wire for making many finished pieces. Some people have trouble making the transition from the soft practice wire to the 1/2 hard wire. The two different hardnesses of wire do not work the same.

When using dead soft wire to make a wire component on a jig, the wire basically stays where you leave it. By contract, 1/2 hard wire is springy and if you use the same approach you used with soft wire for the 1/2 hard wire, you will find that it wants to spring out of shape. Simply put, it doesn't want to stay in the pattern from the jig. This is normal and relatively easily to overcome.

When using 1/2 hard wire on a WigJig jewelry tool, you need to remember one simple approach -- push the wire beyond where you want it to end up so that when you remove your fingers from the wire, it relaxes back to the desired final position. You will need to do this almost every time you wrap the wire around or against a peg so you may have to do it many time as you make a wire component. The concept is that the jig is designed to provide a pattern, but not to force the wire into a particular shape. Using this approach, you should find that when you remove the wire from the jig it remains in the basic pattern from the jig. You will still need to squeeze the wire into its final shape using nylon jaw pliers, and you might want to further harden the wire with a chasing hammer and anvil, but the basic shape will remain. Using this approach, you should have success in using 1/2 hard, or fully hardened wire.

Jewelry Making: From beginner to expert levels

Welcome to the wonderful world of WigJig Jewelry Making! WigJig.com is your perfect resource for the most beautiful, elegant and fun jewelry making techniques, jewelry making supplies, wire jewelry making advice, jewelry making tools, jewelry making instructions videos and much, much more!
Searching for one, particular technique for making jewelry that suits both your jewelry making skill level and your interest? Explore our WigJig Jewelry Making Learn section to discover clear and versatile jewelry making designs and WigJig patterns for:

Necklace Making

Bracelet Making

Ring Making

Beads

Jewelry Wire

Our unique Learn section will help you find the jewelry making designs and jewelry making techniques intended for your level of jewelry making expertise. You'll learn easy methods for making jewelry that looks beautiful! This outstanding, encyclopedic WigJig University of information is an exclusive jewelry making hub that few jewelry tools vendors or jewelry making techniques resources offer jewelry making experts and beginners.

WigJig has the expert jewelry making advice to help you create the right jewelry for any occasion. Whether it's a for a holiday ornament, birthday present or just a gift to say thank you, WigJig has the jewelry making designs, beads, wire jewelry supplies and jewelry making techniques that are right for you.

WigJig.com has patented WigJig patterns for jewelry making and jewelry making techniques that make your jewelry making designs even easier to complete. WigJig jewelry making jigs are our own you can't find through your average jewelry making class. We also offer jewelry making tools that no one else has - our amazingly helpful WigJig jewelry making jigs! Our WigJig jigs help you with making jewelry effortlessly and other WigJig jewelry making tools are helpful for anyone, whether you're a beginner who's new to jewelry making or up at the Intermediate levels of jewelry making and wire jewelry expertise.

So explore, enjoy, learn and create! Let WigJig.com inspire you and your jewelry making creativity to take flight!